Permanent form for concrete construction



Jan. 30, 1934. w B DAVENPORT 1,945,030

PERMANENT FORM FOR CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION Filed March 24, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR I j": v I W B. Davenport ATTORNEY Jan. 30, 1934. w DAVENPORT 1,945,030

PERMANENT FORM FOR CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION Filed March 24. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR W' 'B. 17411191710 art ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 30, 1934 UNITED STATES PERMANENT FORM FOR CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION William B. Davenport, Stockton, Calif.

Application March 24, 1931. Serial No. 524,843 6, Claims. (01. 72-30) This invention relates to concrete construction and particularlyto the forms used'in pouring the concrete when erecting structures of different kinds with this material. In connection with such operations, it is now customary to erect wooden forms in to which the concrete is poured, and which are subsequently torn down after the concrete is set. This not only takes considerable time and labor in the preparation and subsequent removal of the forms, but is costly and entails a considerable loss in the aggregate, since the lumber when torn down is usually in a very poor condition and is very often unsalable, except as firewood.

The principal object of my invention is to avoid a great proportion of the time and labor expense and loss by providing an arrangement of forms which are easily erected, and which when once placed are never disturbed, but actually form a part of the concrete structure itself. The form arrangement for a complete wall or other struc-' ture consists of a number of light, easily handled units so that it is a simple matter to assemble them in position for the pouring of the concrete, and they may be assembled so that no timber or frame work is necessary in connection with their use.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive deviceand yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a number of assembled forms shown in connection with wall erecting operation.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a single form unit designed for use intermediate the ends of the wall, or at the beginning of a partition wall.

Fig. 3 is similar view of a form unit for use at a comer.

Fig. 4 is similar view of a form unit for use when a partition wall takes oil from the main wall.

5 is a similar view of a form unit treated to provide for exterior plastering.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a pair of units showing the means for connecting the same together.

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary vertical section of a pair of form units showing the means for 10- cating and supporting the upper one from the lower one; said section being taken on a line '17 of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, each form unit, for wall erecting purpose, comprises 9. rectangular box like member 1, freely open at top and bottom, whose width is that of the wall to be erected, and whose height and length are in dimension which render the unit convenient to 66 handle. It is made of sheet metal of suitable character. All around its lower edge the unit is provided with a depending flange 2, which fits into the upper end of the unit below, and thus provides a shoulder, limiting the distance, to which the upper unit may project intothe lower one. To prevent outward bulging of the unit along the sides, ears 3 project outwardly and downwardly from each unit at intervals along the sides of the same, just above the flange 2. 7 These ears overlap the sides of the unit below at the top and thus confine the upper edges of said lower unit, between the flange and ears of the upper unit.

Reinforcement of the main area of the sides of the unit if necessary is had by pressing out ribs 4, which may extend diagonally or in other arrangement which will serve the same purpose and tend to prevent buckling of the side walls. The end walls of the unit which are used in the forming of a straight stretch of wall between its ends are cut out by stamping during the manufacture of the units so as to form relatively large openings 5, which are outlined by relatively narrow strips 6, certain ones of which are arranged in the form of diagonal crosses. The strips of adjacent units abut against and aline with each other when the units are assembled, and said strips form elements for straddling engagement with spring clips 7, which are.readily inserted in place from the top of the units and remain permanently in place. These cross straps 6 also serve as the means to support reinforcing bars 8 (see Fig. 1) which may extend through in a number of units of a row to reinforce the entire wall. The particular form of the end openings and the arrangement of the end strips may be varied however, the essential feature being the provision of openings of suflicient capac- 05 ity to permit of the free flow of the concrete.

If the unit is to be used at the end of a wall, as at a door way, one end is left solid, as shown at the right-hand lower end of Fig. 1; If the unit is to be used at a corner, one end is left solid, while an opening 5a iszformed inone side at its closed end, as shown in Fig. 3. If the unit is to be used where'a partition wall takes on, both ends are left open and an additional opening 5b is formed in-one side which may be at one end or between ends, as may be desired, and

asshowninl ig. Iftheunitistobeused where two walls cross each other, the side open-- ingswill'naturally be in both sides. If plasterer other finishing is to be applied to the surface of the wall, the sides of the form units are punched out in a suitable manner, as at -9 in however, that a complete row be placed before the pouring takes place.

When the concrete is poured from the top of any unit, it flows from one unit to the other through the end or side openings. The strips crossing these openings, of course, become embedded in the concrete and thenpractically form a part of the wall. The

form units themselves also. form a part of the 3 wall, so that when the pouring is completed there is'nothing to be dismantled or torn down.

In placing the courses of the. units, one or the 1 other, it, is preferable to stagger them so as to break the joints, as shown in Fig. 1. arethus placed, the flanges 2 would be cut ver- If they tically, as at 10, during the manufacture of the units, so that the flanges will straddle the abutting end walls of adjacent'units below. A wall thus erected presents a reasonably finished surface which does not necessarily have to be plastered, since it may be painted. In this case the side wall reinforcing features may be made in the form of ornamental figures or designs so as to present an attractive appearance I have here shown and described the form units as being designed and used for ordinary wall construction. It will be evident, however, that by obvious modification in their shape and size, the units may be suitable for the erection of practically any concrete structure, such as reservoirs, ditches, basement linings, dams, columns and piers.

Since the forms are freely open at top and bottom, the wall can be reinforced by vertical bars similar to the bars 8 inserted from top to bottom of the form assembly before the concrete is poured.

Also, it is to be understood that while sheet metal is the preferred material for the forms, materials such as clay, terra cottaand others may be used instead in certain cases.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as-deflned by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In concrete construction, a plurality of sep arate form units of thin sheet material throughout freely open on top and bottom and adapted to be arranged in superimposed relation, and flanges depending from the side walls of each unit for the full length thereof and inwardly of said walls to fit inside the side walls of the unit below.

2. A structure as in claim 1, with prongs struck out from the side walls and depending therefrom outwardly of the flanges to engage the outside of the unit below.

3. A form structure for concrete wall construction comprising separate hollow rectangular form units freely open on top and bottom and at their ends; said units being adapted to be laid in abutting order in a course, one of said units having 190 an opening in one side intermediate its top and bottom edges and adapted to match with the open end of a laterally extending unit abutted against said open sided unit.

4. A form structure for concrete wall construction comprising separate hollow rectangular form units freely open on top and bottom and having side and end walls only, said units being adapted to be laid in abutting relationship in horizontal courses to form a wall, and flanges depending 113 from the. lower'edges of thesides of the units throughout their length to fit between the sides of the units of a course below; said flanges being slit vertically intermediate their ends for a width substantially equal to the thickness of a pair of 115 abutting end walls, whereby when mounted in operative positions relative to each other, the units of adjacent courses are arranged in staggered relation and all the units are held against longitudinal movement relative to each other.

5. A form structure for concrete wall construction comprising separate hollow form units of thin material freely open on top and bottom, said units being laid in abutting order in a horizontal course, and freely orificed end walls on the units adapted to abut against each other when the units are erected, said end walls being thin whereby the length of the web of concrete between the interiors of adjacent units will be kept to a minimum.

6. A form structure for concrete wall construction comprising separate hollow form units of thin material throughout and laid in abutting order in horizontal superimposed courses, and means formed integral with said units to interlock adjacent superposed units together against relative lateral displacement and bulging-of either one relative to the other along their adjacent edges.

WILLIAM B. DAVENPORT. 

